News 2/8/11

The FDA approves Mobile MIM, the first mobile radiology app cleared by the FDA for viewing images and making diagnoses. Mobile MIM passed FDA’s tests and its review of radiologist usage under variable lighting conditions.

Eye Faculty Practice (NY) selects the SRS EHR for its 13-provider practice.

Medical products company Sensus Healthcare partners with AZZLY to offer the Astrum EHR platform.

St. Vincent’s Healthcare (FL) selects athenaCollector for its network of 120 employed providers.

Regional accounting firm Blue & Co. (IN) acquires billing and consulting firm Medical Management Solutions.

Altex Business Solutions (TX) partners with ZirMed to offer ZirMed’s RCM solutions to is 2,000 physician clients. Altex is a reseller of Medisoft Clinical, LytecMD, and McKesson Practice Partner software.

I noticed that CalHIPSO has narrowed its list of preferred EHR vendors to eight companies. The REC has completed its “STAGE 1” evaluation, and so far, Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, GE, Greenway, NextGen, athenahealth, McKesson Practice Partner, and e-MDs  have made the cut. CalHIPSO is working with the vendors to negotiate standard terms and conditions and to establish discounted pricing for CalHIPSO members.

Meanwhile in Ohio, the Ohio Health Information Partnership (OHIP) announces that it has surpassed the 50% milestone towards it target of 6,000 physicians signing up for its services. OHIP’s preferred vendors are Allscripts, eClinicalWorks, e-MDs, NextGen, and Sage.

NextGen announces that Palm Beach Orthopaedic Institute will implement NextGen’s RCM services.

Are you a provider attending HIMSS? Drop me a note and tell me what you will be checking out and if you have any suggestions for sessions or exhibits.

Covisint extends the 2010 PQRI submittal deadline to March 15, 2011. While there are dozens of registries, many have already stopped accepting submissions.

CompuMed agrees to provide ECG telemedicine and CardioGram Kids services to the Saban Free Clinic (CA.) CompuMed will provide the clinic ECG telemedicine equipment and reads by CompuMed’s cardiologists. In addition, CompuMed is providing pediatric screen services as part of its CardioGramKids Pediatric Screening services. Good stuff.

1450, Inc. is named the exclusive North American distributor of Frisbee, a transcription workflow system that routes physician dictation to a transcriptionist and then allows the final Dragon-generated and approved transcription to be sent directly to an EMR. The video demo is here. There’s an iPhone version, too

Physicians are still relatively lukewarm when it comes to PHRs, citing concerns about patients’ privacy, data accuracy, potential liability, and the lack of payment incentives. Of 700 surveyed in this Health Affairs-published study, 64% had never used a PHR, though 42% said they would be willing. Another 24% admitted to be unwilling. Minority physicians, rural physicians, and those with EHR experience were most interested in using PHRs. The authors suggest using financial incentives to encourage adoption. I say let see how this how Meaningful Use thing goes before offering up more money.

E-mail Inga.